The Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program and members of National
Geographic’s Network of Alliances for Geographic Education will develop and test a workshop model for teachers which will incorporate historical maps as an essential resource for answering key questions that teachers want students to ask. Primary source thematic maps and other geographic representations will be used to obtain, describe, and compare spatial patterns and information about people, places, events, regions, and environments. An evaluation process will be designed in order that it may be implemented by each local provider, with the results comparable across all workshops.
This collaboration has multiple purposes: 1) to utilize more fully maps in the Library of Congress’ collection to greater effect for benefit of students throughout the United States, 2) to draw on geography educators’ expertise to develop tools, background material, and templates incorporating
Common Core initiatives with map analysis, 3) to create effective partnership models for TPS
Regions and Geographic Alliances, 4) to identify new conduits for geography education audiences so that teacher leaders will develop skills and resources to use maps as primary sources across the curriculum, 5) to establish a replicable evaluation approach that assesses the effectiveness of the delivery method and materials in terms of teachers’ knowledge and student achievement, and 6) to develop a pilot program that, if successful, could be replicated, disseminated, and evaluated in multiple locations. National Geographic, through its collaborative grant program, would support planning, testing, evaluation, and infrastructure for the project.
Teaching with Primary Sources programs offers training to educators on how to access the incredible resources available online at the Library of Congress, including maps. TPS has regional programs that administer grants delivering professional development. Nationally, TPS staff has expertise on collections and material available through the Library of Congress, as well as extensive experience offering varying levels of professional development workshops in using primary sources in the classroom. TPS leverages the knowledge of national consortium members and experts in education to develop effective instructional practices for the use of the Library of Congress’ primary source materials. The use of these materials in the classroom can help students engage with the content in a personal way by making connections that are authentic and by promoting deeper understanding of specific disciplines. The use of primary sources can also help students construct knowledge by forming reasoned conclusions, basing those conclusions on evidence, and connecting primary sources to the context in which they were created while synthesizing information from multiple sources.
The staff at the TPS Western Regional Center (TPS-WRC) has described maps as one of the most underutilized types of resources available through its platform and has identified that the organization is in need of opportunities to incorporate spatial analysis into the program. When maps and other spatial data are included in TPS professional development workshops, teachers are enthusiastic and recognize the varieties of thinking involved in analyzing a map. TPS-WRC welcomes the opportunity to work with geography educators who have experience in developing map-reading tools for teachers to use in the classroom.
Geographic Alliances are continually seeking ways to reach teachers who have not had sufficient preparation in teaching geographic concepts. “Recent studies conclude that many geography teachers have little to no coursework in geography and many are not prepared to teach geography in the K-12 classrooms” (Mohan, 2009, Teacher Efficacy in Geography: A Mixed Methods Study of Formal and
Informal Teacher Education , unpublished dissertation, abstract). Additionally, out of over five
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hundred sessions at the 2012 National Council for the Social Studies conference, just under eight percent were identified as addressing geography education topics, while a third focused on U.S.
History. While improved teacher preparation is one approach to remedying this imbalance, partnering with established organizations offers a way to reach individuals already teaching who may not be aware of how to incorporate geographic analysis in the classroom. State Geographic Alliances have expertise in analyzing and interpreting maps, including assessment of the historical and environmental context, as well as considering the math, science, art, and technology that is involved in the creation, presentation, and use of maps. Combining these areas of expertise will strengthen two good programs.
Initially, four Alliances (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon) will participate in the development of this project. Alliance and TPS-WRC staff members (Appendix A) will first frame a workshop outline blending Alliance Network, Common Core initiatives, and TPS approaches. The staff members will also develop pedagogical resources that can be applied in multiple states. Evaluation of teachers’ knowledge acquisition, teachers’ use of materials in the classroom, and students’ pre- and postgeography analysis skills are part of the project, with Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) conducting the evaluation. In subsequent years, these materials will be expanded and tested through the TPS workshop professional development programs. Geographic Alliance Coordinators and TPS-
WRC staff will determine the best approach for developing and implementing assessment and evaluation of how maps can also further Common Core initiatives such as described by Gersmehl
(July 22, 2013, What do we mean by ‘Reading’ Maps?
, Education Week) . The results of this evaluation would be used to consider opportunities for scaling-up, creating increasingly refined educational experiences with each subsequent workshop.
Following the initial planning in the spring of 2014 and workshop testing process in the fall of 2014, a three-year series of workshops is envisioned as a pilot program, that, if successful, could be replicated at the national level. The proposed project will take place initially in the Western Region of the United States, as defined by TPS. Along with the aforementioned Geographic Alliances, it is anticipated that South Dakota and Hawaii would be part of a pilot program in the Western Region.
State Alliances will write individual grant proposals to the TPS-WRC (each around $10,000) to request support for a two-day workshop on a particular broadly defined topic (e.g., mining) that is compatible across all Alliances. The first part of the workshop would be devoted to the general use of maps, while the second part would be on a topic of particular interest to the educators in that state, incorporating TPS tools and resources. The intended audience for the initial workshop is trained, committed Teacher Leaders who will share the knowledge gained through their professional development networks by training other teachers. Following the initial workshop, Teacher Leaders will collaborate with Alliances to write a grant to the TPS-WRC to request training for teachers in their districts or regions in 2015, incorporating the techniques and evaluation methods developed in the planning process. One of these workshops will serve as a trial and demonstration project during the planning grant phase, expected in the fall of 2014. With information gleaned from the implementation and evaluation of the initial workshop, time would be spent modifying the project and writing a proposal for a pilot grant.
Timeline
Fall 2012 Colorado Geographic Alliance [COGA] discusses collaboration opportunity with
Teaching with Primary Sources representatives. Library of Congress approves project concept.
January 2013 COGA discusses project with other Alliance Coordinators [ACs], who express interest in the collaboration
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February 2013 Project description is drafted and discussed at Alliance Network Annual Meeting, including discussion of a common topic
July 2013
August 2013
Letter of Intent to submit a collaborative project sent to National Geographic
ACs meet with TPS staff while in Denver for the NCGE Conference
October 2013
Alliances notified that they are invited to apply for the grant process
September 2013 Information for grant collected and organized
Grant proposal is finalized, approved by all participating Alliances and host institutions, and sent to National Geographic for review
October 2013 National Geographic requests revision of grant proposal
November 2013 Alliances submit revision of grant proposal to National Geographic
December 2013 National Geographic communicates results of grant review
If Grant Proposal Approved
February 2014 ACs meet at Alliance Network Meeting to discuss details of next steps
March 2014 ACs hold three-day workshop in Denver with TPS staff to 1. learn about TPS approaches and tools, 2. determine how maps, mapping skills, and spatial analysis can be incorporated into the TPS format, and 3. address process for drafting TPS grant proposals, identifying approaches to evaluation, ensuring quality control of workshops, and collaboration grant proposal for 2015-2017
April 2014 ACs review content and pedagogical approaches to ensure consistency across all state workshops
May 2014
August 2014
Key Teacher Leaders in four states identified
ACs write grant proposals to TPS for initial Teacher Leader Workshop
ACs write a Letter of Intent to the Library of Congress for the initial workshop
TPS responds to grant proposal
ACs meet during NCGE annual conference in Memphis to plan for next step in process, including formal evaluation process addressing student learning outcomes
Fall 2014 TPS initial Teacher Leader workshop held in one location
September 2014 Grant proposal is finalized for Collaborative Pilot Grant, approved by all participating Alliances, and sent to National Geographic for review
December 2014 National Geographic communicates results of grant review
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February 2015 ACs meet during Alliance Network Meeting to assess Teacher Leader workshop proposals including pedagogy, content, and process
Spring 2015 ACs shepherd grant proposal process to TPS by Teacher Leaders, including
Letters of Intent to Library of Congress
Summer 2015
Fall 2015
TPS responds to grant proposals from Teacher Leaders
TPS Teacher Leader workshops held in four states, including pre- and postevaluation of students
Winter 2015 TPS and ACs assess outcomes and explore expansion opportunities
The goal of this planning collaborative is to develop a framework for an interface with educators that would:
1) pair the vast collection of historic maps and other thematic and geographic representations in the
Library of Congress’ collection with spatial analysis tools to greater effect for benefit of students throughout the United States
2) draw on geography educators’ expertise to develop tools, background material, and templates incorporating Common Core initiatives with map analysis
3) create effective partnership models for TPS Regions and Geographic Alliances
4) share audiences and educational materials so that teacher leaders involved in the Network of
Alliances for Geographic Education and the TPS Consortium will develop skills and resources to use maps as primary sources across the curriculum, creating greater reach for both organizations
5) establish a replicable evaluation approach that assesses the effectiveness of the delivery method and materials in terms of teachers’ knowledge and student achievement, and
6) develop a pilot program that, if successful, could be replicated, disseminated, and evaluated in multiple locations.
The ultimate goal is to construct a substantive partnership between the Library of Congress and
National Geographic Society, executed through Geographic Alliances and local TPS Regions.
The goal to create a framework to accomplish the collaboration will incorporate multiple approaches from different perspectives, leveraging the experience of the Network of Alliances for Geographic
Education members to create a unique program that can be replicated nationwide. While there have been previous efforts by individual Alliances working with TPS programs, the results have been limited in scope and scalability. If this collaborative succeeds, the combined development, testing, and assessment of workshops in different situations, the substantive analysis and evaluation, and the potential for exploiting the TPS and Alliance Network connections suggest that the investment in the project will provide a structure that overcomes the limitations of those previous individual efforts.
The logic model below was developed with BSCS. It describes the essential components of the project, including resources, interactions among partners, objectives for the substance of the project’s content, and the changes that will take place should the project be successful.
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As part of the planning grant for this collaboration, an evaluation process, including the data collection timeline and initial data collection instruments, will be developed by BSCS staff to determine the effects on teacher learning, if any, that may occur as a result of the spatial analysis and mapping workshop. BSCS, a nonprofit science education research and development organization, has extensive experience and expertise in the area of professional development evaluation, and is currently serving as external evaluators on a number of federal and private grants. BSCS staff member, Audrey Mohan, will lead the development of the evaluation process. She has a Ph.D. in geography education and expertise in designing and evaluating professional development. The evaluation component will include 1) an evaluation of teacher learning as a result of the pilot workshop, and 2) an evaluation of the Alliances’ collaborative process in developing and delivering the workshop.
The results of both evaluation efforts can also be used to consider opportunities for scaling up the project, expanding to other states and regions, and ultimately collecting student achievement data to measure the effect in classrooms.
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Arizona Geographic Alliance, Colorado Geographic Alliance, Geographic Alliance in Nevada, and the Center for Geography Education in Oregon will work collaboratively with the Western Region
Teaching with Primary Sources staff to develop the content and pedagogical approaches for a twoday workshop using Library of Congress material, geographic and spatial analysis, and Common
Core Standards. BSCS will develop an evaluation process that will be part of the workshop format, measuring increased use of primary sources and growth in teacher knowledge as well as in student achievement. The Colorado Geographic Alliance will support the collaborative by managing the funds, serving as the main communication channel with National Geographic, and organizing initial meetings to develop the workshops.
The project results will be shared through a webinar with the Alliance Network and with the TPS program through its numerous communication channels, including submission to the national TPS newsletter and possible presentations to the TPS Consortium at the annual meeting. Members of the collaboration team expect to write at least one journal article based on the evaluation component of this project and to present the project at national conferences such as National Council for the Social
Studies. As one of the objectives of this project is to enable it to be replicated across the country, we intend to share the results widely.
• Workshop content about geography sufficiently broad to use in multiple settings
• Guidelines for local groups to create workshop content suited to a particular region or topic
• Outline for a two-day workshop that could be organized through Alliances or TPS or through collaboration
• Evaluation process easily replicable for implementation as part of a workshop
• Host institution identified for statistics gathered through evaluation process
• Evaluation results easily compiled for comparison among projects
• Identification of teacher leaders in four states to attend the initial pilot workshops
• Production and assessment of one workshop
• Report for Alliance partners, Teaching with Primary Sources, and National Geographic
This project will improve geographic literacy by offering tools for spatial analysis of primary source maps for educators who may have initially considered the Library of Congress as a source for only historical information or for educators who perceive maps as only tools for locating information. TPS workshops encompass the diversity of materials housed by and made available digitally from the
Library of Congress, specifically, primary sources that address the needs of geography educators.
TPS-WRC is excited to collaborate with the Geographic Alliance partners, giving TPS the opportunity to tailor its program’s geographic content with geographic expertise to better serve the participants of the overall program through instruction with primary sources outside the usual historical contexts. Collaborating with a respected entity such as the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program, recognized across the United States as a repository for important information, will foster the construction of a portfolio of geographic education products and programs that are engaging and effective and can be widely distributed. Creating a workshop that can be replicated, adapted, and evaluated efficiently will support additional capacity-building within the
Network of Alliances for Geographic Education. Incorporating an evaluation structure into the process will enable individual Alliances, the Library of Congress, and National Geographic to assess the effectiveness of their programs.
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